Alabama Governor Kay Ivey urged the state's residents to stay strong as we continue to grapple with the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and said her statewide stay-at-home order remains in place until at least April 30th.

As other governors ease similar measures in neighboring Georgia, Tennessee and Florida, Ivey said Alabama is in the middle of the projected peak of the illness in our borders. She said social distancing measures and the closure of nonessential businesses have been effective in making sure Alabama's hospitals are not overwhelmed and now is not the time to abandon those measures.

"What the people of Alabama are doing is working and we need to keep at it," Ivey said.

Ivey said the executive committee of the coronavirus task force she created is reviewing recommendations to safely reopen the state, but she will not take action that is not smart, safe and productive.

The state faces many other challenges as well -- Ivey said less than one percent of the state's population has been tested for the virus and that number must rise significantly. The state is also struggling with processing an unprecedented spike in unemployment claims and fighting for renewed funding of the federal Paycheck Protection Plan.

Ivey ended her comments by thanking the state's residents for their solidarity during these trying times and with a message of hope for the future.

"It’s been a challenging month," Ivey said. "We’ve said goodbye to too many of our loved ones and our way of life has been turned upside down. Better days are ahead; I’m confident of that."